Dianapolis



N0.'6|3,oao. l Patented ncLzs, |898. c. n. & w. A. RoYsE.

TELEGRAPH'Y.

4 (Application med Aug. 11, 1897.) y

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Walter No. 613,080. l I Patented out. 25, |398.`

c.n. & w. A. oYsE.

TELEGRAPHY.

(Application led Aug. 1,1, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Tue wams Pneus co., PHOTO-umm wAsHmoTnN. mc,

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE D. ROYSE, OF GREENCASTLE, AND WALTER A. ROYSE, OF IN-DIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO TIAIEMSELVES, AND MOLLIE M. ROYSE, OFINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TELEG RAPHY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,080, dated October25, 1898.

Application filed August 11,1897. Serial No. 647,883. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, CLARENCE D. ROYsE, of Greencastle, in the county ofPutnam, and WALTER A. ROYSE, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion,State of Indiana, citizens of the United States, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Telegraphy; and we do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

Our invention relates to telegraphy, and is directed more particularlyto improvements in telegraphic systems which are applicable foremployment in establishing communication between Xed station-offices andrailroad` trains and between the trains themselves if more than onetrain is at a time being operated on the line.

Our invention in its nature is, however, susceptible of utilizationwherever it is desired to establish intercommunication between points,and while in the following description and the accompanying drawings wehave set forth and shown our invention as embodied in what might betermed a railway telegraphic system yet we do not wish it understoodthat we confine ourselves to such specific application, but that suchembodiment constitutes but one of a number of uses to which ourinvention may be advantageously applied. By its use every stationtelegraph-office and every train on the road is in constant telegraphiccommunication with every other telegraph-office and train without theuse of any switches or loops or any other means whatever that requiresthe assistance of some one not on the train for establishing suchcommunication with the train. Trains on sidings can likewise beincommunication, and the system may be extended so as to place all of thetrains on any number of tracks, whether parallel or otherwise, incommunication with each other and with the stations, all of which ishereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic viewillustrating an application of our invention to what we term arailway-telegraph. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of what we term atrain-relay. Fig. 3 isa plan view of a train-relay, showing the meansfor effecting a variable resistance. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the keyemployed at way-stations. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of theconnections at way-stations where no extra resistance is employed. Fig.6 is a sectional View of a railway-track, showing the preferredconstruction and location of the mainline rail or wire. Fig. 7 is anelevation, partly in section, of a railway-car fitted to be employed inour improved telegraphic system and of the track and electricalconductor at a railway-crossing, the View showing the method ofestablishing connection between the main-line rail or wire and therunningrails or ground and the method of crossing railway-tracks andhighways without obstructing them or interfering with the perfectworking of our system. Fig. S is a diagrammatic view of the systemembodying some modifications.

Referring to said drawings by letter', in Fig. l, .I and K areterminal-station oices, L is a way-station office, and N and O aretrain-offices. z' and t' are main-line batteries of approximately equalstrength and opposed to each other. h, h', and h2 are local batteriesfor energizing the Sounders in their respective offices. g, g', and g2are the Sounders. f and f are ordinary telegraphic keys having onemain-line and one ground connection. f2 is a special telegraphic key, asshown in Fig. 4, to be `used at way-stations. e2 and e3 are ordinarytelegraphic relays connected in series in the main line. e is a specialtelegraphic relay connected with one wire to the main line and one tothe ground and is shown in Figs. 2 and- 3. e isa telegraphic relaysimilar to relay e with respect to the peculiarity shown in Fig. 2 andis connected in series at terminal stations to control the opening andclosing of a shunt around resistanceboXj. :c is a wire the use of whichwill be hereinafter explained. j, j', jz, and js are resistance-boxes. Ais the main line of the sys- IOO tem, which may be a rail or wire of anysuitable shape and size in cross-section and may be located convenientlyto be engaged by one or more lnetallic brushes or other suitablecollectors carried by a car. d and d represent the track-rails throughwhich the ground connection is formed. d/ represents the connectionbetween the battery t' and the ground d. la and 7c' are connectionsbetween waystation oflices and the main linie. k2 is the connectionbetween way-station-office keys and the ground. k3 is the connectionbetween terminal-station keys and the ground. fm, is the main-lineconnection, and m the ground connection, with train-ofiices. Other linesin the drawings not otherwise explained represent electricalconnections.

In Fig. 2, n is the retractile spring ot' the relay. n10 is a metallicpoint having electrical connection with one side of the soundercircuit,and n.12 is the armature-lever of the relay, having a metallicconnection with the other side of the sounder-circuit and having also ametallic point adapted to come in contact with point n10 when thearmature of the relay is released, thus energizing the sounder,

and adapted also to break this contact when the relay is energized andthe armature drawn toward the magnet, thus denergizing the sounder. Thispeculiarity belongs both to the resistance-relays e and the train-relayse.

Fig. 3 shows the preferred form of varying the resistance intrain-offices. In order to accomplish this, we use a switchboard on thetrain-relays, by the use of which the current may be thrown into or outof any desired number of coils of the electromagnets of the relay. Inthe figure, 'n and n are the relayelectromagnets. n3 is a switchboardhaving a lever 717 centrally pivoted at 719 and having its two endsinsulated from each other by ns. n2 and n4 are contact-points in thepath of one end of the lever 017, and 'a5 and n are contactpoints in thepath of the other end of the lever. For the purpose of varying theresistance of the electromagnets n and n the coils are wound in layersand arranged so that as many layers of the coils as desired may beswitched into the circuit. A wire from one bindingpost of the relayenters the coil of n', and after as many windings as may be desired thewire is brought out and connected with contactpointu2 on switchboard n3.The wire then leads from contact-point n2 into the electromagnet n', andanother layerof coils is wound and the wire brought out and connectedwith contactpoint n4. It again returns in the manner as describedbefore, connecting with still another layer of coils and back again tothe switchboard, and so on until the desired number of layers arewound.v From the end of lever nl that is in contact with point n2 a wireleads into the electromagnet n and connects with a layer of coils andreturns to contact-point m5. Layers of the coil are connected tocontact-points ns, ctc., in the same manner as described for theconnection of the various layers of the electromagnet n. m and 'm' areconnecting-wires, as heretofore explained. The switch-lever n? has itsends in the path of the various contact-points of the switchboard, andby being moved it can be made to connect into the circuit as many of thelayers of the coils as desired, having at all times the same number oflayers ot' the coil of each magnet in the circuit.

Fig. et represents in detail the special key f2 that is used atway-station offices. f3 is the key bar or lever. f5 is a contact-pointin the back end of the base of the key insulated from said base. f4 is acontact-point in the end of the bar of the key opposite the point f5,insulated from said bar and adapted to -form electrical connection withpoint f5 when the lever of the key stands in its normal position withthe button end raised, as shown in the figure, and adapted also to breakthe connection with contact-point f5 when the button end of the lever f3is depressed.

Fig. 5 corresponds in lettering to the waystation L, (shown in Fig. 1,)except as to the key f, the dierence being that no resistanceboxes areused, and consequently only the ordinary type of key instead of thespecial one shown in Fig. 4 for throwing resistance into the line.

In Fig. 6, d and CZ are track-rails. A is the main line, as shown inFig. l. aand a show the preferred form of insulation. a is the main stemof the insulator, and a is a circular bell-shaped hollow hood to preventa sleet or ice connection between the main line and the ground. Theseinsulators may be placed at any desired intervals, or the entire mainline may be placed on wooden stringers, being properly insulated fromsaid stringers.

Fig. 7 shows a car equipped with our systern and represented as crossinganother railroad-track. The lettering of the instruments, wiring, track,and main line is the same 4as shown in Fig. l for the same purposes, band l) are metallic wheel-brushes attached to the trucks of the car andgeared to the car-axle, so as to move at the same circumferential speedas the car-wheel. To each of these brushes is connected a wire leadingto the train-relay and to the train-key, as shown by m in Fig. l. Theconnection m' with the ground CZ is through the car-wheels. The brushesZ) and b are so placed as to be in constant contact with the main-lineconductor A, except as shown in the figure for spanning crossings,wherethe conductor A is carried under the crossing by means of a wire, shownas A@ The breaks in the running-rails at railroad-crossings areconnected by wires, as shown by cl2. The connection between the brushesb b and the main line is thus broken while the car is crossinga highwayor another railroad; but both connections are never broken at the sametime.

Fig. 8 .shows all oices, whether train or station, connected in themanner as shown in IOO IIO

Fig. l for train-offices. J and K represent terminal stations. L or Nrepresents any way-station or train oiiice. Lettering in this figuresimilar to that in Fig. l indicates instruments in similar position,buut not necessarily of the same form'. All keys are of the simple type,and all relays are of the kind shown in Figs. 2` and 3 fortrain-ofiices.

In the foregoing description it will beobserved that two methods ofconnecting the telegraphic relays are shown. In Fig. l the relays at J,L, and K are connected in series in the main line. Those at N and O andall of the offices in Fig. 8, whether train or station, have each oneconnection with the main line and one connection with the ground. Thesemay be said to -be connected in multiple between the main line and theground. Station-relays may be connected either in series or in multiple,or part of them each Way, the proportion of eachto be determined bythetotal main-line resistance and the number of ofices, bothV train andstation, probably required on each particular line. Train-relays must beconnected in multiple. In our description and explanations the relaysconnected in series are called station-relays, and the relays connectedin multiple are called train-relays, though it is understood that allthe connections and conditions of trainrelays may be used for part orall of the stations.

Further explanation of the instruments shown in Figs. l, 5, and S isnecessary for the perfect understanding of the Working of the system.The batteries t' and t at J and K are each of sufficient strength tooperate the whole line, but have like metals to the ground and otherlike metals to the main line, thus neutralizing each other, and wherethere is no intermediate ground connection depriving the main line ofcurrent; but it is evident that when any portion of the main line isgrounded by connection with the railway-rails a current is establishedin the entire main line through a flow from each battery to the point ofgrounding. ln the explanation of instruments reference will be made tooffices J, N, and L, and it will be understood that all that is saidconcerning J and N will apply also to K and O, respectively. At stationJ the resistance-box j is connected directly in the main circuit, 'but ashunt around the resistance-box passes through the contactpoints n10 and9112' of resistance-relay c. Reference to Fig. 2 will show that thisshunt will be complete, and consequent-ly the resistance shunted out,when the relay e is denergized and the armature drawn backV by theretractile spring. This retractile spring is so adjusted that thecontact between n10 and n.12 stands normally closed and remains so untilthe current in the main line becomes strong enough to prevent the readyaction of the relay e2. Vhen such strength of current is attained, thecontact between n10 and w12 is broken by the resistance-relay eattracting its armature, and the main-line current is caused to passthrough the resistance-box y'. This resistance may be changed from timeto time, according to necessity, by the operator; but the limits withinwhich a stated resistance will give satisfactory results are very greatand little change will be required. Relay 62 is also connected in seriesin the main circuit. It is desirable to have this relay cf as lowresistance as will give satisfactory results. The retractile spring ofrelay c2 isso adjusted that the relay stands normally inactive andremains so until the Wire is grounded through a key or some other meansof eecting a ground connection Without resistance interposed. The groundconnection at N through wire m, relay e, resistance-box ja, and Wire mestablishes a current in the main line; but on account of the resistanceoffered by the relay and resistance-box the current is insufficient toovercome the retractile spring of relay ez. It has been previouslystated that the grounding of the main line at any point establishes acurrent in the main line. Consequently the method used for transmissionof a message is that of alternately grounding and disconnecting theground. The key f has one Wire 7c3 connecting with the ground and onewith the main line. It normally stands open and is adapted when closedto ground the main line through its contactpoints. This explanation willalso apply to key f at ofce N and to the front contactpoints f6 and f7of keyf2 at station L.

At office N relay c is of the type shown in Figs. 2 and 3. js is anykind of adjustable resistance-box and is shown in the drawings merely toshow how it should be connected in case a relay not embodying thefeatures shown in Fig. 3 should be used at e. The relay e has itsretractile spring so adjusted that its armature is attracted by the lowamperage that is established in the main line by the ground connectionthrough the relay e or through the relay and the resistance-box ja; butas relay e2 is intended to not respond to this low amperage and yet tobe energized by the higher amperageestablished by a ground connectionthrough a key it is necessary that the difference between these twocurrent strengths should be sufficient to admit of the ready adjustmentof relay e2 for this purpose. Consequently it is necessary that barelyenough current should be normally established through all the relaysconnected as relay c to satisfactorily energize the relays with suchconnections. To` regulate this normal current strength, sufficientresistance is interposed either in the relays e, as shown in Fig. 3, orby an additional resistance-box j 3 as to make the joint resistance ofall such ground connections great enough to keep the amperage at the lowpoint indicated. Itis obvious that as the number of offices connectedinthis manner varies the interposed resistance must be varied to get thebest results. This maybe done by the IOO IIO

use of the box-resistance j; but it is better to use a relay of variableresistance, as shown in Fig. 3. It is also advisable to have a relayofgreater sensitiveness than is used in station-offices. It is alsoadvisable to have a relay for this use in which the magnetic'power ofthe coils will remain approximately the same when the resistance ischanged as suggested above. This will be accomplished if instead ofusing a resistance-box to vary the resistance we use a switchboard n3,Fig. 3, by which a greater or less number of the coils of theelectromagnets can be thrown into the circuit, thereby varying theresistance and the sensitiveness of the magnets in approximately thesame ratio. The relay e, as already explained, stands normallyenergized; but a reference to Fig. 2 will show that the contactpointscontrolling the sounder are normally out of contact. By the closing ofany key, however,a direct ground connection is oered, and as currentswill divide through several avenues of outlet in inverse ratio to theresistance offered practically all of the current is grounded throughthe key which is closed, thus withdrawing itfrom relay e, causing it tobe denergized and release its armature, which brings together thecontact-points that control the sounder-circuit and energizes thesounder. At station L relay e3 and sounder g2 act in the same manner asrelay e2 and sounder g' at station J. Resistance-box j is permanentlyset to throw into the circuit an amount of resistance equal to the totalresistance of that part of the main line including station-relays eastof key f2,and resistance 3'2 is permanently set to throw into thecircuit an amount of resistance equal to the total resistance of thatpart of the main line including st-ation-relays west of key f2. Theamount of resistance in each of these boxes'is determined, therefore, bythe location of the station in the main line. The total resistance ofthe two boxes will in every case be just equal to the total resistanceof the whole main line, and will be so proportioned that when the mainline is grounded by the key f2 an amount of resistance is thrown intoeach end just equal to the amount cut off from that en d by thegrounding. The key f2 is more fully shown in Fig. 4. The contact-pointsf6 and f7 have' already been explained. Contactpoints f4 and f5 areconnected with wires that shunt out resistances j and ,7'2 when thesepoints are in contact as they normally stand, but upon depressing thebutton end of the key the contact at f4 and f5 is broken and the currentwest of the grounding passes through resistance j' and the current eastof the grounding passes through resistance jz. At some stations it maybe desired to use only one resistance-box, and that on the side of thestronger current. In such cases, supposing station L to be nearer tostation J than to station K, the resistance jz would be removed and itsconnecting-wires connected as shown by the dotted line w; but on lineswhere the main-line resistance is low, either by reason of the linebeing short or the conductor of low resistance or having few relaysconnected in series in the circuit, it will be possible to obtainsatisfactory results without the use of any resistance-boxes atway-station oiiices. In such cases an ordinary keyf will be used insteadof the special key shown in Fig. 4, and the wires will be connected asshown in Fig. 5, lo and k leading to the main line and k2 to the ground.

The modification shown in Fig. Sis simply the connection of all oflices,both train and station, in the same manner as is shown in Fig. l for theconnections of train-offices. In such cases no resistance whatever isused, except j, as shown in train-offices N and O in Fig. l, which maybe used either with a relay of a certain set resistance or with thespecial variable-resistance relay shown in Fig. 3, or may be dispensedwith entirely by the use of the latter relay. In any event the relaycontact-points will be reversed,as shown in Fig. 2. In still other casesa part of the station-offices may be connected as shown in Fig. 8 andall of the other station-ofces connected as shown in Fig. 5, resistancesj, j, and j? all being dispensed with.

Below is a description of the operation of the system. The main linestands normally .as follows: Referring to Fig. l, we trace the circuitfrom the groundcl at station J through battery e', through thecontact-points of relay e', shunting out resistance j, through the coilsof relay e', through the coils of relay e2 by way of the main line tostation L, over line lo, through the coils of relay e3, through the backcontact-points of key f2, (see Fig. 4L, f4 and fi) shunting outresistances j and jg, to the main line over 7o', and, leaving offices Nand O for later explanation, through station K in a manner similar tostation J, thence to the ground d. The batteries a' and 'L' at J and Kare each of suficient strength to operate the whole line, but beingopposed to each other by having like metals to the ground and other likemetals to the main line the relays at J, L, and K are all normallyinactive when there is no ground connection other than at the terminals,though the circuit is complete. The connections as shown at N and O arerequired for train-offices and may be used, as already stated, forstations. The relays e at offices N and O are of suicient resistance oradditional resistance is to be added in the circuit with teach of them,so that the joint resistance of all of the ground connections throughthe relays at such offices as N and O shall be great enough that theamperage established in the line by such groundings is quite low ascompared with the amperage established by grounding the main linewithout any interposed resistance. The train relays are wound to be moresensitive to a small current than those at stations, and the retractilesprings are so adjusted that the small amount of current which normallypasses through IOO IIO

offices.

these train-relays excites them, and their armatures are attracted bythe magnets. The station-relays are not so sensitive, and the retractilesprings are so adjusted that the low amperage of current normally in theline by the grounding through the train-relays is not sufficient toattract their armatures. All keys stand normally open and, having inevery case at the front contact-points one connection with the main lineand one with the ground, are adapted to ground the line whenever closed.Hence all of the station-relays stand normally inactiveand all of thetrainrelays stand normally excited. All of the Sounders, both train andstation, stand normally inactive. Resistances j, j', and jz are normallyshunted out. Now suppose the operator at J wishes to send a message. Hecloses the key f', thus `grounding the wire without any resistance beinginterposed in the ground connection. The eect of this on thestation-relays is to charge them with a current of a higher amperagethan is normally in the line, so that their armatures are attracted andthe Sounders are closed in such By this grounding all the power ofbattery i' at station J is thrown into use within the office J, giving acurrent of very high amperage, which would not ordinarily permit thearmature of relay e2 to be withdrawn by its retractile springimmediately on the subsequent opening of the key f; but this strongcurrent sufficiently energizes the coils of resistance-relay e as toovercome the high tension of its retractile spring. The armature nl? isdrawn forward and its contact with n10 is broken, thus throwing themainline circuit through the resistance-box j. This instantly reducesthe amperage sufficiently that the armature of relay e2 is readilyreleased on removing the ground connection. At the same time theretractile spring of resistance-relay c is again strongerthan themagnet, and the armature is drawn back without having been drawn forwardthe whole limit of its path. The eect on the resistancerelay is not aseries of clicks corresponding to the clicks of relay e2, but simply abuzz. The effect upon train-relays of the closing of keyf is that thesmall amount of current that normally passes through them now finds amore direct avenue to the ground through the contact-points of the keyf', and the current dividing through all of the ground connections ininverse ratio to the resistance offered by the various avenuespractically all of the current is now diverted from the train-relays.This releases their armatures, and these being drawn back by theretractile springs the trainsounders are energized. Hence by the closingofkey f all the station-relays are energized and the Sounders connectedtherewith also energized. At the same time all of the train-relays aredenergized, but the sounders connected therewith energized. Theresistance-box j is also thrown into the circuit by the resistance-relaye when needed. The

opening ot' the key f restores all the relays and sounders to theirnormal positions and shunts out rcsistancej. Now suppose the operator ontrain N wishes to send a message. He depresses the key f, thus making adirect ground connection with the main line through the carwheels, linem, the contact-points of the key f, line m, and brush b. This simplyshunts out relay e at N, and this relay is therefore denergized, but thesounderat N is energized. Relay e at O is also denergized, because thecurrent, finding a more direct ground connection through the key thanthrough the relay c and resistance js, is practically all diverted fromsaid relay, but the sounder connected therewith is energized.l By thedirect grounding through the key f a current is established in the mainline of sufcient amperage to energize all station-relays, and hence allstation-Sounders are energized also. This train being near to station Jthe current established west of the point of grounding at key f wouldprobably be sufcient to act upon the resistance-relay e in the manneralready described by the closing of key f. Hence by the closingof key fall 'station-relays are energized and their sounders also energized. Atthe same time all trainrelays are denergized and their Soundersenergized. Resistance-box j at station J is thrown into the circuit byresistancerelay e' when needed. On the opening of the key f all relaysand sounders resume their normal positions and the resistance j standsshunted out of the circuit. Suppose the operator at L wishes to send amessage. He closes the key f2. This grounds thevwire throughcontactpoints f and f7 without any resistance being interposed in theground connection. This would energize all station-relays and deenergizeall train-relays, causing all Sounders to be energized in the mannerdescribed in the closing of key f; but here the resistance needed toregulate the current is thrown in in a different manner than whenoperators at J and N close their keys. The depression of key f2 at Lbreaks the contact between points f4 and f 5, which opens the shuntaround resistances j' and jz, thus throwing into the line on each sideof the point of grounding an amount of resistance equal to the amountcut off from that end by the grounding. This equalizes the strength ofthe current without the use of the relay e. the key f2 the groundconnection is thereby broken, all relays and Sounders resume theirnormal positions, and resistances j' and jz are again shunted out by theclosing of contactpoints f4 and f5. y

In way-station offices connected, as already explained, for the use ofone resistance-box the effect of closing the key f2 is the same as inoffices just explained, except that the current east of the groundconnection passes through wire @c instead of resistance jg.

In offices connected as shown in Fig. 5 the closing of the key f issimilar in eect to the IOO IIO

On the opening of r closing of key f2at station L, except as to throwingin the resistancesf and f2. There this connect-ion is used, resistancejwill be thrown into the line by resistance-relay e', if the office soconnected be near enough to either terminal that by closing the key asufiicient amperage is established in the line to affect theresistance-relay e. Otherwise no resistance would be thrown into theline by the closing of the key in such offices.

The modification shown in Fig. 8 amounts to having a main line,batteries at each end opposed to each other, ground connections at eachend, and having keys and high-resistance relays separately connected inmultiple between the main line and the ground at various intervals. Thekeys all stand normally open and the relays all normally closed by thecurrent that is normally established in them by reason of their groundconnections. The closing of any key gives a more direct avenue for thecurrent and practically deprives all relays of current, denergizing thesame and energizing their Sounders. The opening of the key restores allthe relays and Sounders to their normal positions. The operation of allof these offices is similar to the operation of train-offices, aspreviously described. Under this modification all train-offices andway-station offices are connected in the same manner.

What we claim as our invention is- 1. In a telegraphic system thecombination of a main line, batteries or the like at each end thereofprovided with connections with the said line and ground to neutralizeeach other and normally deprive the main line of current when there areno ground connections except those with the batteries or other source ofelectromotive force, a number of relays connected with said main lineandthe ground in multiple and adjusted to be normally excited by acurrent of low amperage and to cause a current of low amperage to flowthrough said main line on account of such connections andthe resistanceinterposed, a number of normally-inactive relays connected in said mainline in series and adj usted to be excited by an increase in theamperage of the current, normally open keys connected in multiple withthe main line and ground and adapted, when operated, to ground the mainline and increase the amperage of the currenttherein, thereby increasingy the magnetic power of the relays connected in series, and decreasingthe amperage of the current in the relays connected in multiple; aresistance at each terminal station connected in series form andnormally shunted out of the main circuit, a relay adapted toautomatically break the shunt connection and throw into the main linethe resistance when needed; a resistance or resistances at way-stationsconnected in series in the main line, but normally shunted out, and akey adapted to break the shunt and throw such resistance into the maincircuit when needed, substantially in the manner and for the purposesset forth.

2. In a telegraphic system the combination of a main line, batteries orthe like at each end thereof provided with connections with said lineand the ground to neutralize each other and deprive the main line ofcurrent when there are no ground connections except those with thebatteries or other source of electromotive force, a number of relaysconnected with said main line and the ground in multiple and adjusted tobe normally excited by a current of low amperage and to cause a currentof low amperage to flow through said main line on account of suchconnections and the resistance interposed, a number of normally-inactiverelays connected in said main line in series and adjusted to be excitedby an increase in the amperage of the current, normally open keysconnected in multiple with the main line and ground and adapted, whenoperated, to ground the main line and increase the amperage of thecurrent therein thereby increasing the magnetic power of the relaysconnected in series and decreasing the amperage of the current in therelays connected in multiple; a resistance at each terminal stationconnected in series form and normally shunted out of the main circuit,arelay adapted to automatically break this shunt connection and throwintothe main line the resistance when needed, substantially in the mannerand for the purposes set forth.

3. In a telegraphic system the combination of a mainline, batteries orthe like at each end thereof provided with connections with the saidline and ground to neutralize each other and deprive the main line ofcurrent when there are no ground connections except those with thebatteries or other source of electromotive force, a number of relaysconnected with said main line and the ground in multiple and adjusted tobe normally excited by a current of low amperage and to cause a currentof low amperage to flow through said main line on account of suchconnections and the resistance interposed, a number of normally-inactiverelays connected in said main line in series and adjusted to be excitedby an increase in the amperage of the current, normally open keysconnected in multiple with the main line and ground and adapted, whenoperated, to ground the main line, and increase the amperage of thecurrent therein, thereby increasing the magnetic power of the relaysconnected in series and decreasing the amperage of the current in therelays connected in multiple, substantially in the manner and for thepurposes set forth.

4. In a telegraphic system the combination of a main line, batteries orthe like at each end thereof with main-line and ground connections toneutralize each other, a number of relays connected in multiple betweenthe main line and ground and adapted to normally establish a current insaid relays on account of such connections, and means for grounding atwill the main line between the batteries, thus greatly decreasing theamper- IOO IIO

age of the current in said relays, substantially in the manner and forthe purposes set forth.

5. In a telegraphic system resistance-coils connected in the :main linein series, a shunt around said resistance-coils.adapted to normallyshunt out said resistance-coils, and a telegraphic key, adapted, whenoperated in its usual capacity, to break the shunt around theresistance-coils at each depression of said key and throw the currentthrough said coils and adapted to again complete the shuntwhen the keyis released, substantially in the inanner and for the purposesdescribed.

6. In a telegraphic system resistance-coils connected in ser-ies in themain circuit with a shunt around said resistance-coils adapted to benormally closed by the contact-points of a relay that is adjusted toautomatically break said contact-points and throw the current throughsaid resistance-coils when the amperage of the current rises too highfor the proper operation of the telegraphic line, and also adjusted toautomatically complete the shunt when the amperage has been reduced, allsubstantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

7. A telegraphic relay having the coils of its electric magnets wound inseparate layers with the ends of the wire of each layer brought out tocontact-points in a switchboard, a switch-lever the arms of which areinsulated from each other and the switchboard and movable with relationto said contact-points, whereby all of the coils may be thrown into thecircuit while any number of coils or all but the main coil may be thrownout of the circuit, the two magnets always having an equal number ofcoils in the circuit, substantially as described.

.8. An improvement in a telegraphic relay for the purpose of maintainingits magnetic power approximately constant under various changes in theamperage of the current passing through it, by means of a switchboardn3, a switch-lever nl', the arms of which are insulated from each otherand from the switchboard, contact-points n2, n4, W5, 'm6, the., arrangedin the paths of said arms of the lever, connections between the severallayers ofthe coils of the relay-magnets and the said contact-pointsseverally, a line connection to one of said magnets, a connectionbetween the other magnet and one of the arms of the le- Ver and a groundorline connection with the other arm of the lever, substantially in themanner and for the purposes set forth.

9. In a railway telegraphic system the combination with a main line,batteries or other electromotive force at each end thereof withmain-line and ground connections to neutralize each other, a relayconnected with said line and the ground, said relay adjusted to benormally active by a current of low amperage, a sounder, and a keyhaving connection with said line and the ground and adapted, whenoperated, to ground the main line and greatly decrease the current inthe aforesaid relay, causing its armature to be released, therebyenergizing said sounder, substantially in the manner and for thepurposes set forth.

l0. In a railway telegraphic system the combination of an insulated railor other conductor constituting the main line, the railwayrails formingthe ground connection, a car provided with a collector in contact withsaid insulated rail or other conductor, a relay in the relay-circuit onthe 4car connected with said collector and the car-wheels, said relay tobe normally excited, a sounder, a battery for the operation of saidsounder, and a key connected with said collector and wheels and adapted,when operated, to ground the main line and greatly decrease the currentin the aforesaid relay, causing its armature to be released,therebyenergizing said sounder, substantially in the manner and for thepurposes set forth.

l1. A telegraphic key comprising a bar pivotally mounted on a baseconstituting an electric terminal, a terminal contact-point insulatedfrom the base and arranged in the path of a terminal contact-point atthe front end of the bar, a terminal contact-point mounted in butinsulated from the other en d of the bar and normally in contact with aninsulated terminal contact-point in said base, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof ,we aftix our signatures, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 2d day of August, 1897.

CLARENCE D. ROYSE. WALTER A. ROYSE. Witnesses:

J. F. FEsLER, L. DANIELs.

IOO

